Exclusive: Lee Hendrie predicts the final EFL League One top 6 - Luton Town feature | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie has picked out the clubs he expects to finish in the top six in League One.

The early months of the 2025/26 League One season have certainly thrown up a few surprises at the top end of the table.

Alex Revell's Stevenage are top of the league having made an excellent start, while newly-promoted Bradford City occupy the second automatic promotion place, with some of the pre-season title favourites struggling to keep up with the pace set by the early frontrunners.

Cardiff City, Stockport County, AFC Wimbledon and Lincoln City currently fill the play-off spots, but there are plenty of clubs that will fancy their chances of displacing those sides before the season reaches its conclusion.

The likes of Huddersfield Town, Barnsley, Bolton Wanderers and Luton Town will certainly have aspirations of being in the promotion picture at the end of the season, and they currently find themselves relatively well positioned in the top half of the table.

Clubs including Leyton Orient and Plymouth Argyle will no doubt hope they can recover from their slow starts and make a push for the top six during the remainder of the campaign, with the O's run to the play-off final under Richie Wellens last season showing that most sides in the division should still believe they can make a success of the 2025/26 campaign regardless of their current standing.

Football League World asked Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie which clubs he expects to be in the top six in League One at the end of the season, and he believes that only two sides currently outside those positions will be included.

Lee Hendrie issues League One play-off prediction

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie spoke to Football League World about the remainder of the League One season, and predicted which clubs he thinks will finish in the top six at the end of the campaign.

"I think Luton will turn a corner massively after making the managerial change, so I think they will be in there," Hendrie said.

"I certainly think Bradford will be in the top six.

"Stockport, I will go for as well.

"Cardiff, one hundred percent.

"Huddersfield, I think, will be in the top six, and Barnsley.

"I will go for Stevenage. They are absolutely flying, so I think they will be in there as well."

Hendrie's prediction would mean that AFC Wimbledon and Lincoln City drop out of the top six between now and the end of the season, while it would also mean that Bolton Wanderers miss out on a play-off place for the second successive season.

There is no doubt that several other clubs will be hoping that they can mount a promotion push in what looks to be a competitive division this season, and it will certainly be interesting to see which sides occupy those top six places in May.

Lee Hendrie expects Jack Wilshere to thrive at Luton Town

Lee Hendrie was quick to name Luton Town in his League One top six prediction despite the fact they currently find themselves 11th in the table, are five points adrift of the play-off places, and parted company with Matt Bloomfield earlier this month.

The Hatters have appointed former Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere as Bloomfield's replacement, and Hendrie clearly believes that the 33-year-old has what it takes to turn things around at Kenilworth Road.

Wilshere will have experienced coach Chris Powell, who lifted the League One title as manager of Charlton Athletic in 2012, alongside him as assistant manager at Luton, and they will be tasked with taking the club back into the Championship at the first time of asking - something that Hendrie evidently thinks could well be on the cards.